ARIA
I don't know how long I sat inside the cafe. All the noise faded into the background.
Until a touch jolted me, cold against my skin. I flinched, lifting my head before I even realized what I was doing. That was when it hit me...I was crying. Not softly, not discreetly...my whole face was wet, my cheeks raw, my lashes clumped together. My breaths came broken, shallow.
"What's wrong?" Ash's voice was low, urgent, already circling around the table.
I shook my head. Slowly. Helplessly. Words refused to form. Every time I tried to breathe, it cracked inside me, like my ribs were splintering, like the air had claws. And still everything I'd tried to bury clawed its way back up, spilling into the open.
"Aria..." Ash crouched in front of me now, her hand hovering, uncertain, her eyes wide and burning. "Is it Kael?"
I didn't speak. I couldn't. I just nodded.
Her expression hardened instantly, sharp enough to cut. "What did that bastard do?"
